This invention relates to projectiles and firing apparatus therefore and it has particular application to methods of and apparatus for firing projectiles for military use, although this invention is also applicable to civilian uses such as described in our simultaneously filed International application.
The military applications of firing projectiles are well known, such as firing grenades, firing radar deflecting chaff and missile decoy packages. In military applications such as firing grenades, each cartridge case carries a projectile assembly containing a single grenade. Accordingly the relatively slow rate of delivery of grenades provides a significant constraint on the applications or utility of the equipment.
This invention has particular application to projectiles which are fired from a barrel having a plurality of projectiles arranged in-line within the barrel and which are associated with discrete selectively ignitable propellant charges for propelling the projectiles sequentially through the muzzle of the barrel. Sealing engagement is provided between projectiles and barrel so as to prevent rearward travel of an ignited propellant charge to the trailing propellant charge. Such barrels will be referred to hereinafter as of the type described. Such arrangements are illustrated in our earlier International Patent Applications.
Barrels assemblies of the type described have the disadvantage that significant time may be required to position them for firing on a selected target. This set-up time may be unsuitable for applications where time is of the essence, such as for setting up defences.
This invention aims to provide improved means for debilitating an enemy and/or to alleviate one or more of the shortcomings associated with presently available methods of and apparatus for firing projectiles for military and/or civilian uses.
With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a plurality of barrel assemblies of the type described arranged in a transportable pod whereby the barrels may be transported to and directed at a selected target.
The pod may be formed as a unitary housing or it may have side walls which can splay outwardly to accommodate the barrel assemblies contained therein when in a splayed attitude. The pod may include aiming means for selectively orienting the barrels within the pod whereby the barrels may be directed at a selected target, alternatively, the pod may include an adjustable support such as a turret mounting.
Then again the transportable pod may be carried in a vehicle which may be selectively oriented about any desired axis to direct the barrels at a selected target, such as an aircraft whereby fixed orientation of the pod and barrel assemblies is appropriate.
Such pods will require minimal set-up time for firing many projectiles at a selected target. This will be advantageous where time is of the essence, such as for establishing defences.
Suitably the barrel assemblies are of the low pressure type which fire grenade-like projectiles although high muzzle pressure barrel assemblies may be utilised if desired. Respective barrel assemblies in the pod may be loaded with different projectiles and the pod may, include barrel assemblies having different size bores.
Suitably each projectile includes a trailing collar assembly captively mounted to the projectile body and when stored in the barrel, extend rearwardly to wedge against the nose portion of a trailing projectile body. Suitably the wedging action is provided by a shallow wedge whereby, in use, the trailing end of the collar is expanded into operative sealing engagement with the barrel.
The trailing collar may be mounted for limited axial movement relative to the projectile body and the leading end of the collar formed with an annular sealing face engageable with a complementary face formed on the projectile body whereby rearward movement of the projectile body resulting from the reaction of propellant gases thereon forces the its complementary face into sealing engagement with the annular sealing face at the leading end of the collar.
The complementary face and the annular sealing face could extend substantially radially and could be formed with complementary sealing features thereon. Preferably however these faces are complementary part-conical sealing faces which wedge into tight sealing engagement with one another. The leading end part may also be expandable into operative sealing engagement with the barrel. Suitably however the wedging between the part-conical faces are relatively steep faces whereby the leading end of the collar is not expanded into operative sealing engagement with the barrel by the wedging action.
Preferably, each projectile is associated with a high pressure propellant chamber which exhausts to respective low pressure propulsion chambers formed between the adjacent projectiles for efficient low muzzle velocity operation. The high pressure propellant chambers could be formed integrally with the projectile body or the trailing collar or they could be provided at the exterior of the barrel to communicate therewith through ports provided through the barrel wall.
The projectiles may be electronically fired at an infinitely variable frequency up to the maximum rate of fire. For firing from a barrel assembly according to an aspect of this invention and arranged for low pressure, low muzzle velocity, the rate of firing is limited by the time taken for each projectile to leave the barrel and by the time necessary for the gas pressure in the barrel to drop sufficiently to warrant the firing of the next projectile.
In another aspect his invention resides broadly in a weapon having a plurality of barrel assemblies of the type described arranged in a transportable pod having:
pod housing;
support means for stably supporting the pod housing;
a plurality of barrel assemblies of the type described supported in spaced relationship within said pod housing by respective swivel mounts, and
direction control means for selectively varying the relative alignment between the barrel assemblies so as to selectively vary the relative delivered positions of projectiles fired from different barrels at the target
The direction control means may permit uniform pivoting of the barrel assemblies so that the inclination of the axes of the barrel assemblies relative to a pod axis may be selectively varied to enable a target position relative to the pod to be varied. The direction control means may permit individual pivoting of each barrel assembly so that the inclination of each barrel axis relative to a pod axis may be individually varied to enable a target position or individual target positions relative to the pod to be varied. Such individual control may be associated with individual firing control of each barrel assembly if desired.
Then again the direction control means may permit a controlled splaying of all barrel assemblies so that the area covered at the target zone may be selectively varied. Alternatively the direction control means may permit all or some of the above variations to be achieved individually or collectively as required.
The pod housing may be of any suitably configuration and may taper towards its base to enable barrel assemblies to be supported in a splayed attitude. The support means may be fold out legs which may be adjustable if desired. In one form the pod has a rectangular pod housing for economy or ease of storage and/or transport and the base thereof constitutes the support means.
The barrel assembly variants disclosed herein may also constitute further aspects of this invention.
A pod of barrel assemblies according to aspects of this invention may be fired from a marine platform into water, or from a sled towed underwater. The pod may also be fired from an aircraft, or from a number of aircraft flying in formation and if desired, with the firing coordinated between the aircraft by a suitable electronic link.